Berg Cycles has the honor of opening this team time trial. They reach Le Sentier in six minutes and thirteen seconds.
The next starter, Fablok - Chocolate Jacques, is already thirteen seconds down at this point. Third starter Nordstrom - CA Technologies is slightly better at eight seconds, with fourth starter Team Europcar in between them at ten seconds.
By that time, Berg has already reached the second checkpoint. 14'29 the time there, which these teams obviously can't beat either, though Nordstrom is still at eight seconds.
Azteca - NBCSN would knock Berg off both thrones, five seconds at checkpoint one and fourteen seconds at checkpoint two!
Adastra N Hell Energy is unable to match those times, but provisionally third at twenty seconds.
Berg reaches the finish line in 21'40. Henao Montoya loses three more seconds, a moment of inattentiveness from the Colombian.
MOL rides roughly the same pace as Berg so far, but one second ahead of them at both splits.
Fablok's end deficit is eighteen seconds to Berg. Two years ago they won on this route, now they're closer to the bottom than the top.
Mapei was five seconds ahead of Adastra in Le Sentier, but are two seconds behind at L'Abbaye. They'll be looking at a midtable finish.
Nordstrom climbs two seconds slower than Fablok but had an advantage of five seconds, hence they go to second, for now.
Defending champions Duolingo are back for more! They go to the top of the leaderboards, beating Azteca by a whopping fourteen seconds at split two.
The finish line ends a miserable day for Europcar, virtual last place them for now, but a new contender for that title has passed split two just now.
That team is Sotto il sole di Riccione. They are already ten seconds slower than Europcar after five kilometer and the gap only grows bigger.
Azteca takes the hot seat on the finish line. 21'22 is the new time to beat, but Duolingo should go ahead of that unless they implode on the hill.
Xero Racing did not look like a podium contender, only sixth at checkpoint one, but has moved ahead of MOL and Berg at the second. Saving the best for last?
Adastra 21'44, third amongst the finishers but given the split times they'll drop to about tenth.
Home team Centovalli - Fiat can't impress yet, ninth out of twelve teams who passed the second timing point.
Pomoshnikov is thrown overboard on the final ascent for MOL. 21'36 for the team, which is second place for now but thirteen seconds off Azteca. The Russian finishes eleven seconds behind.
Campari - Asahi Procycling has a faster second sector than Europcar and moves to third-a-last! Perhaps it gives them motivation to take another place in the last part.
Guldhammer pushes Mapei up the final hill. They were eight seconds behind Berg at the second checkpoint but it's only one at the finish line. If only the hill was a slight bit longer.
Trans Cycling Team beats Sotto by four seconds to avoid the wooden spoon so far, but they have to maintain that in the final part.
21'05 is the finish time for Duolingo, beating Azteca by seventeen seconds. It's half a minute slower than their time last year but weather conditions might have played a part. No one seems to be able to touch them.
Polar cannot match the times set by Duolingo or Azteca at the checkpoints, but they are five seconds ahead of Xero and look set for a podium finish.
Sotto drops Santoro into the final kilometer. They take last place and have to hope Trans implodes as well to avoid the laterne rouge.
The last team to start is Bakkafrost. They have to make up three seconds in the final part to get past Polar and onto the podium. Easier said than done but not impossible.
Xero picks up Santoro, who doesn't impede them. They enter the virtual podium in third, + 28. However, they likely have to give that place up to Polar.
Centovalli finishes within 22 minutes by the smallest possible margin. 21'59 brings them in the last spot of the top ten, but expect them to be pushed out.
Campari breaks up in the final meters, which costs them a position to Europcar. + 1'13 their gap to Duolingo, but Slagter is the seventh rider and isn't credited with the same time as the team, + 1'23 for him.
Trans is involved in the battle for last place. The Slovenians were four seconds ahead of Sotto but a disastrous final climb sees them drop behind them by three seconds, and the two remaining teams are both on the left side of the table. Not a good start.
Polar finishes right behind Trans, almost overtaking them. They were seven seconds behind Azteca but the difference on the finish line is down to two seconds, in Azteca's favor though. However, leader Latour loses an additional four seconds by not being amongst the first five finishers.
The final team to finish is Bakkafrost, and they do so in 21'36. They finish in the same time as MOL but are credited with fifth place, ahead of their Hungarian rivals.
The winners from last year keep their crown: Duolingo wins the team time trial by a comfortable margin. Azteca - NBCSN and Polar complete the stage podium at seventeen and nineteen seconds. Xero Racing the only other team within half a minute.
The yellow jersey goes to the first Duolingo rider to cross the line, which is Antonio Barbio. Nikita Razumov crossed the line ahead of Oliveira and hence wear white tomorrow. Obviously the teams classification is equal to the stage result, which gives Duolingo a full jersey sweep as the points and mountains classification is not awarded yet.
